Paul Johnson, of Brandon, said the crankbait action for crappie picks up in November as the temperatures lower.

Written by

Brian Albert Broom
bbroom@clarionledger.com

As deer season approaches, Paul Johnson, of Brandon, is as excited as the next guy.

It's not that Johnson goes to sleep at night dreaming about antlers. He doesn't care about deer at all. Johnson gets worked up because he knows that trolling crankbaits on Barnett Reservoir in November and December can produce some of the most consistent action of the year for big crappie.

Pulling his baits at 1.4-miles per hour, Johnson fished the river channel above and below the Highway 43 bridge. "The best 6-week period of time to me is November to December for catching quality fish," Johnson said. "To me, it ...